The Valley Christian Trojans will face off against the Gilbert Christian Knights at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Valley Christian is coming into the contest hot, having won their last five games.
Valley Christian is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They claimed a resounding 47-18 win over Sabino. The Trojans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four games by 25 points or more this season.
Austin Schuder
| 11/07/25 vs Sabino | 158.3 |
| 10/17/25 vs Odyssey Institute | 149.3 |
| 10/18/24 @ Paradise Honors | 137.5 |
| 10/31/25 @ ALA - Ironwood | 127.8 |
| 09/11/25 @ Dysart | 123.3 |
It was another big night for Austin Schuder, who rushed for 44 yards and three TDs, and also threw for 250 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 85% of his passes. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in passer rating (158.3). Caleb Goldman was another key player, rushing for 100 yards and a pair of scores on only nine carries.
Meanwhile, Gilbert Christian beat Payson 25-15 on Friday.
Gilbert Christian's win came from a few key players Valley Christian will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Caleb Ely, who threw for 256 yards and two TDs. Kamari Stanbury was Ely's top target, picking up 103 receiving yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 30 yards.
Gilbert Christian didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Payson to a completion percentage of just 40%. The team can thank Dusty Cook for the heroic effort on defense: he. Gilbert Christian wasn't nearly as limited: they posted one of 62.9%.
Gilbert Christian's defense didn't let Nolan Keeney, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Hyatt Lang, Marcel Maro, and Evan Scott, who each picked up one sack apiece. Stanbury got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Valley Christian's victory bumped their record up to 10-1. As for Gilbert Christian, their win bumped their record up to 8-3.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's matchup: Valley Christian has been on an offensive roll this season, having averaged 364.4 total yards per game. It's a different story for Gilbert Christian, though, as they've been averaging only 224.9 total yards. Will Valley Christian be able to march up the field at their leisure again, or will the Knights flip the script?
Valley Christian beat Gilbert Christian 27-20 in their previous matchup back in October. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was the Knights' Pierson Scott, who picked up 86 receiving yards and one score, and also rushed for 38 yards and one TD. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Trojans still be able to contain Scott? There's only one way to find out.
